Tiny Desk Concerts - Video

Spoiler alert: The Punch Brothers came to the Tiny Desk on Chris Thile's birthday. We made him a cake and gave him an NPR surprise! This wasn't the first time the brilliant mandolinist had brought a project to my desk — it was his fourth. The last time was with his longtime band Nickel Creek, but also with his new braces. So the cake we presented here was inscribed "Brace Yourself Chris Happy Birthday...

Whether it's warranted or not, classical music wonks are perennially worried about the next generation of fans.It seems there's less need to fret when you hear cellist Matt Haimovitz and pianistChristopher O'Riley. Some 15 years ago, they were already chipping away at the barriers — both real and perceived — between classical and pop...

Many tributaries follow the story of African migration to this part of the world. Much of that narrative is well-known, but little-known pockets of African culture still produce unique cultural expressions. The story of the Garifuna people is just one example. A tapestry of cultures and influences can be heard in the guitar work of Aurelio Martinez in this Tiny Desk Concert...

It says a lot that, with almost 7,000 entries to choose from, we selected Fantastic Negrito as the winner of our Tiny Desk Concert Contest. For his winning submission, he performed "Lost In A Crowd" in a freight elevator in Oakland. It was his passion, his voice and his backing band that landed him an invitation to perform behind my desk. We're proud of our choice. As we learned after choosing him as our winner, Fantastic Negrito — a.k.a...

I first saw Phox in an impromptu concert at a restaurant in Philadelphia. I thought the band was talented and charming, and I still do. Phox is six friends from Baraboo, Wis., who make pretty, catchy music. The group's not-so-secret weapon is Monica Martin, who sings with a smoky lilt in front of spare, tasteful instrumentation. You can hear that warm, accessible sound on Phox's 2014 debut, which was recorded at Wisconsin's April Base studio, built by Bon Iver's Justin Vernon and his brother...

Sometime years from now I may be asked: What was your favorite day at NPR? I am likely to say it's the day Dan Deacon got the NPR staff worked up into a giant dance party! It's also the day Deacon and staff wheeled in an upright piano and connected it to his computer — a magical mix of old player piano and electronic avant-garde. Yes, Deacon makes electronic music and dance music, but it's not the thump thump thump stuff you'd go to a club for...

With her huge voice and an assist from talented trombonist Daniel Walter Eaton, Zola Jesus presented a curious combination at the Tiny Desk — a combination I hardly ever encounter. Having seen her mostly with a big and powerful band, I wondered if this configuration would work. But it was magic, with the trombone poignantly complementing her mellifluous voice and stark personal words.Zola Jesus is the work of Nika Roza Danilova...

The beauty of the Tiny Desk lies, at least partially, in the limitations of size and technology. We rarely amplify voices, for example, so for a band like Until The Ribbon Breaks, the challenge becomes how to take a loud electronic sound down to a volume where singer Pete Lawrie-Winfield can be heard. In this case, the solution involved a spaghetti strainer, a paint bucket and an acoustic guitar...

When I first imagined Mucca Pazza at the Tiny Desk, I honestly had no idea how the Chicago band's 23 members would fit in — in the literal sense of the term. To load-test this performance, we actually gathered a gaggle of interns behind my desk and began to stack people on cabinets, step-stools and, of course, desks.In nearly seven years of doing Tiny Desk Concerts, with more than 400 participating acts, this turned out to be the biggest one yet...

Before Rubblebucket played its Tiny Desk Concert, its members asked if they could bring a confetti cannon. And, though I said no — dear coworkers, I really do care about you — the band still brought a fun mix of brass and brash to the Tiny Desk.At the front of this band is Kalmia Traver and Alex Toth; she sings clever words, straps a tambourine to her foot and plays the flute, while he plays trumpet, flute and more...